lesson 3: physical and chemical properties of minerals

EARTH SCIENCE
STEM 11 - ANDROMEDA
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES  earthy - reminiscent of freshly
broken soil.
1. Crystal Habit – refers to the overall
Some minerals break only by
shape or growth pattern of the mineral.
fracturing, while others both cleave
It can be described as:
and fracture.
a. Equant – three dimensions of
the mineral have about the  biotite and mica have one
same length. (ei. Garnet) direction
 orthoclase has two directions
b. Elongate – forms prismatic or  galena has three directions
prism-like crystals that are  fluorite has four directions
thicker than the needle (ei.  quartz has a conchoidal
Indicolite) fracture
 asbestos has a splintery
c. Platy – looks like a flattened fracture
and thin crystal (like plate) (ei.
Wulfenite) 4. Hardness – is a measure of the
mineral’s resistance to scratching.
2. Luster – describes the appearance of Harder minerals will scratch softer
a mineral when light is reflected from minerals.
its surface. It can be described as Scale Mineral
opaque, transparent, dull, or shiny. 1 Talc
a. Metallic luster is opaque and 2 Gypsum
very reflective like gold and 2.5 Fingernail
silver. 3 Calcite
3.5 Copper penny
b. Nonmetallic luster is dull, 4 Fluorite
silky, greasy, and pearly like
5 Apatite
silicates.
5.5 Steel knife blade/glass
3. Cleavage and Fracture – Cleavage
plate
refers to the tendency of minerals to
6 Orthoclase feldspar
break along very smooth, flat, and
shiny surfaces. It can be described as 7 Quartz
8 Topaz
 one
9 Corundum (ruby)
 two
10 Diamond
 three
Friedrich Mohs in 1812 ranked
 four
minerals according to hardness. He
 all directions. selected ten minerals of distinctly
different hardness that ranged from a
A mineral fracture may break along very soft mineral (talc) to a very hard
random, irregular surfaces. It can be mineral (diamond).
classified as
 conchoidal - results in a 5. Color – is one of the most obvious
smooth rounded surface properties of a mineral but not reliable
resembling the shape of a alone. Some minerals come in just
scallop shell. one color, while others come in many
colors and varieties.
 uneven - rough surface or one  Quartz varies widely in color,
with random irregularities. due to minor (parts per billion)
impurities and even defects in
 hackly - is jagged, sharp, and its crystalline structure.
not even. It occurs when 6. Streak – refers to the color of the
metals are torn. mineral in its powdered form, which
 splintery - breakage into may or may not be the same color as
elongated fragments like the mineral.
splinters of wood.  According to Bayo-ang
(2016), streak is obtained by
scratching the mineral on an
 unpolished piece of white sulfide minerals, like
porcelain called a streak sphalerite, a zinc sulfide,
plate. smells like rotten egg).
 When the excess powder is  Some have a distinctive feel
blown away, what remains is (talc feels slippery).
the color of the streak.
 Streak is more reliable than CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
color as streak shows the true
color of minerals. It does not
Chemical properties of minerals show
vary even if color does.
the presence and arrangement of atoms in
minerals. Using their chemical properties,
ADDITIONAL PROPERTIES minerals are identified by how they react to
1. Magnetism – some minerals are certain substances.
attracted to a hand magnet.
 To test a mineral for  Some minerals, especially carbonate
magnetism, just put the minerals, react visibly with acid.
magnet and mineral together (Usually, a dilute hydrochloric acid
and see if they are attracted. (HCI) is used.) When a drop of dilute
 Magnetite is the only common hydrochloric acid is placed on calcite,
mineral that is always strongly it readily bubbles or effervesces,
magnetic. releasing carbon dioxide.
2. Striations – presence of very thin,
parallel grooves.  Some are toxic like cinnabar and
 The grooves are present in soluble in water like halite.
only one of the two sets of  Metallic sulfide minerals form into
cleavages and are best seen sulfuric acid when exposed to air and
with a hand lens. water.
 They may not be visible on all
parts of a cleavage surface.  Uranium and thorium containing
 Before you decide if there are minerals like Autunite (hydrated
no striations, look at all parts calcium uranium phosphate) and
of all visible cleavage Thorianite (thorium dioxide) are
surfaces, moving the sample radioactive.
around as you look wherein
light is reflected from these
surfaces at different angles.  Metals like magnesium are flammable.

Furthermore, Cuarto (2016) classified minerals

3. Specific Gravity – is the weight of according to their chemical composition using
that mineral divided by the weight of Dana System which divides minerals into
an equal volume of water. eight basic classes.
 The specific gravity of water
equals 1.0. Most silicate, or The classes are
rock-forming, minerals have  native elements
specific gravities of 2.6 to 3.4; o these minerals are naturally
the ore minerals are usually occurring in nature in an
heavier, with specific gravities uncombined form with distinct
of 5 to 8. mineral structure.
 For most minerals, specific o It can be classified as metals,
gravity is not a particularly semimetals, and non-metals.
noteworthy feature, but some, o ei. silver
high specific gravity is
distinctive (barite and galena).  silicates
o this is the largest group of
4. Taste, Odor, Feel – Some minerals minerals.
have distinctive taste (halite: salt). o It contains silicon and oxygen,
 Some give off a distinctive with some aluminum,
odor (the powder of some magnesium, iron, and calcium.

2
 o ei. feldspar
 oxides
o it is formed from the
combination of a metal with
oxygen.
o this group ranges from dull
ores like bauxite to gems like
rubies and sapphires.
o ei. magnetite
 sulfides
o these are made of compounds
of sulfur usually with a metal.
o they tend to be heavy and
brittle.
o ei. pyrite
 sulfates
o these are made of compounds
of sulfur combined with metals
and oxygen.
o it is a large group of minerals
that tend to be soft, and
translucent.
o ei. gypsum
 halides
o they form from halogen
elements like chlorine,
bromine, fluorine, and iodine
combined with metallic
elements.
o they are very soft and easily
dissolved in water.
o ei. halite/table salt
 carbonates
o these are group of minerals
made of carbon, oxygen, and
a metallic element.
o ei. dolomite
 phosphates
o they are often formed when
other minerals are broken
down by weathering.
o they are often brightly colored
o ei. apatite
 mineraloids
o it is the term used for those
substances that do not fit
neatly into one of the eight
classes.
o ei. amber